Rather than dispense the standard money scrips, Weston compiled dozens of real-life problems from readers of her Ask Liz blog and column on MSN Money.

Result: fascinating topics—lots of Weston’s trademark, clear-eyed advice—plus the quirks that make other people’s money so fascinating.

My sister wants a loan for her business, should I help her out?

My dad had money in an account for my son, but he spent it—now what?

We have $80,000 in credit carddebt, no savings, no retirement—should we declare bankruptcy?

The answer to that last one, by the way? Yes, this couple would probably benefit from the debt relief that bankruptcy can provide. But they never should have drained their 401k, Weston says, because retirement savings are protected in a bankruptcy.

If you’ve ever wanted to tell your friends, “I just found this really fun money book,” this is your chance.

Out of the Box If you’re self-employed and have a SIMPLE or a SEP IRA, you can also open a Roth IRA, to give yourself the benefit of some tax-free withdrawals when you retire, says Liz Weston.